T-Minus Infinity
by unashamed-shipper
Summary: time ticks so slowly when one begins to fall into fate
1. Chapter 1

Lucy tapped on the small rectangular clock attached to her wrist for the fifth time today. The numbers stayed at 7:14:28 still, and with a sigh she ran a hand through her hair. The numbers stayed still even though everything in her life was changing. And oh how she loathed it.

At twenty-five, she was starting to show moderate signs of aging. It was ordinary for the people who had not found a soulmate by age twenty-four to see themselves aging practically in the mirror, but for Lucy, it seemed ridiculous. Her once golden hair was now starting to turn gray, and her beautiful face now had small wrinkles along her nose and mouth.

Lucy pushed herself up from the chair that she was sitting in drinking tea a few moments ago and decided to get dressed. After all, she did have a date tonight.

* * *

"And then I said, 'I can't believe you did that!' and it was a hit!" Dan Straight told Lucy with a booming laugh, causing quite a few eyes to look over at their table. Many of them were women, and their envious eyes flicked up and down Lucy's still curvaceous form. Although she had not found her soulmate, Lucy had tried to keep her aging body in shape if she were to find him or her any day now.

"Hmm," Lucy said absentmindedly, swirling the wine in her glass. It was a pity. The aged chardonnay was delicious, and she would sure miss it when she finally broke up with the sportscaster.

It wasn't that Dan was a bad guy. He was just dull beyond belief and almost obviously gay, but she enjoyed her time with him. And the food wasn't bad either. He had taken her to the finest restaurants in all of Fiore. He was rich for sure, but he could have all the money in the world and still be boring as dust. And as sneeze-worthy as well. The cologne he wore practically clouded when he wrapped her in a hug, which was every time he saw her.

Small wrinkles formed at Dan's eyes as he looked at her in concern. "What's wrong, Lulu? Not having a good time?"

Lucy bit back a lie. "No, of course I'm having a good time. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You haven't touched your filet mignon and haven't spoken all evening. Are you sure everything is alright, my love?" he said, touching her hand from across the table. Lucy resisted the urge to pull it back and hiss at the man who had been talking about how own life for the past hour and a half.

"I'm fine. Just a hard day at work, that's all," she said, sipping her wine with a small smile. She really would miss this wine.

"The work of a journalist never stops. Neither does a sportscaster's," Dan said with a slight chuckle, drawing his hand back to his glass to take a drink of his scotch.

"Yes," Lucy said, her thoughts slowly turning to her soulmate once again.

What would he be like? Was he boring and dull just like Dan, or would be more adventurous. Surely he would be aging as if he were a forty-five-year-old just like Lucy had, but hopefully he'd still have his looks. Lucy's eyes flicked to Dan's sparse hairline as he droned about the weather once more and how interesting it was to him. To Lucy, she couldn't care less. All she cared about at the moment was getting her work finished on time, completing her novel, and finding her soulmate.

After the date was finally over, Lucy and Dan embraced in a hug. He was tall, which was nice, but she didn't fit correctly in his arms. His arms seemed a little too long for her small frame, and whenever they hugged she seemed to fit right underneath his armpit, which was not comfortable in the slightest.

"I hope to see you again very soon, my Lulu," he leaned in to whisper, and Lucy felt a slight shiver not from attraction but from annoyance. Why wouldn't he bother to call her by her actual name? It was the same amount of letters, and Lucy associated the name 'Lulu' with her friend Levy's puppy, not a cute nickname.

"Of course," she said, leaning in to peck him on the cheek. The peck wasn't romantic, it was purely friendly. She could smell the strong odor of his aftershave, and she wrinkled her nose slightly.

"Great. I'll call you," he told her, waving as he headed out to his car. She headed out to hers and began driving to her weekly grocery run. Even grocery shopping seemed interesting compared to listening to Dan's droning.

Lucy gathered her weekly groceries quickly in the same order. Vegetables and fruits first, meats second, boxed meals third, and dairy and frozen meals last. Piling it all into the car, she gazed at the clock once more. The same numbers gazed back at her. Lucy growled in frustration and slammed the trunk shut. When would she ever meet someone she truly cared about other than platonically?

She got in the car and began to read her to-do list for the week. It was droll and the same as last week. Her life was so boring, and as she pressed her head against the steering wheel, she prayed for some excitement.

Lucy placed her hand on the steering wheel and began to back up when she heard a thump and a soft yelp. Gasping, she parked her car immediately and jumped out the car door. A man was holding his leg in pain, and Lucy ran over and held her hands out in exasperation.

"I am so sorry, sir! Did I hurt you?" she said, and the man straightened and dusted off his pants. His pants leg was a little ripped, but no damage.

"No, but you were pretty close there. Better be careful. Don't space out otherwise you won't know what hit you ," he told Lucy, turning to look at her.

Oh, something had hit her alright.

The man was stunningly handsome. Although he was aged around his eyes, mouth, and on his body, the statement remained. His hair was a soft rose peppered with silver that she had only thought came in flowers and eyeshadow palettes, and his eyes a deep sage. His neck adorned a checkered scarf of which she'd never seen but looked expensive as Burberry. His hands were now raised in a 'what can you do?' fashion and looked sturdy by the lines and muscles in them. Lucy gasped as her eyes met his, and she noticed a smirk on his thin lips.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked, his voice booming.

"Um," she told him intelligently, and he chuckled. The sound was baritone and soothing, and she instantly loved the noise and wanted to hear it over and over.

"Let me know, alright? People without soulmates gotta stick together, right?" he chuckled again, and Lucy managed a smile even while she was gawking like a schoolgirl to her favorite boy band member.

"R-right," she said.

'Real smart, Lucy. Now he'll know you're a real catch,' Lucy scolded herself.

She looked down in her wrap pocket and saw that there was a tiny piece of paper sticking out of it. Curious, she grasped it in both hands and read quickly.

'Natsu Dragneel, Architect for The City of Magnolia.' it read, with a number underneath it. He had written two words underneath it.

'Call me'.


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy steadied her breath as she read the scrap of paper. Her brows furrowed in confusion. What did he mean, 'Call me'? The words were so obvious but yet so laced with uncertainty. Lucy wanted to call him right away to demand what the hell it meant but also didn't want to seem desperate…

Shoving the piece of paper back in her pocket, she slouched which was uncharacteristic for the woman. She had been in dance classes ever since she was young, which stressed good posture. Her weekly classes were one of the only things that livened up her otherwise monotonous week.

Suddenly realizing that the clock on her wrist may have changed, she grabbed at her wrap's sleeve and pulled it down in a hurry. Surely he would be her soulmate! This was the excitement she had prayed for!

To Lucy's horror, it still read 7:14:28.

"Dammit!" she screamed into the wind. Enraged, she got into her car and zipped out of the parking lot, driving home with her vision blurred by angry tears.

Maybe he wasn't her soulmate. And maybe she'd never find him. But even if she did, she would call that Natsu Dragneel and give her a piece of her mind for being such a delicious jerk like that. What did he think he was doing romancing her with his adorable chuckle and handsome looks like that?

Lucy headed up the stairs to her apartment after unloading her car and unlocked the door when she got there. She put her groceries away with care, making sure that nothing was damaged. She hated coming back from the store only to find that one of her cans of soup was dented or a frozen meal was ripped open.

After she completed her task, she threw herself onto her bed with an aching sigh. Maybe she wasn't meant to have a soulmate after all. She had heard that certain people weren't meant to have a soulmate, and even though it was a little strange it was accepted by everyone. And an even smaller group just decided to boycott soulmates and sex altogether. Although Lucy was a little confused by their notions, she did understand what it meant. Some people didn't want to fall in love, and some people just didn't like sex. And that was completely normal.

But Lucy wasn't one of those people, no matter how much she sometimes wished she could be. Lucy loved the giddiness of being in love and the lust of when your thighs ached. She loved the champagne bubbles and the chocolates, the pitter patter of an infatuated heart and the kiss of a lover. But it was still possible that Lucy didn't have a soulmate. And she'd possibly have to live with that.

A pang of disappointment worked it's way into her heart and rested there for a few moments, causing Lucy to clutch at her chest. It felt cold. The icy feeling curled itself around her bones and middle, and Lucy shivered at the sense. Pressing her head to the cold pillow, she sighed and succumbed to early sleep.

'Stupid Natsu,' she thought before closing her eyes, 'who does he think he is, anyway?'

And as Lucy slept, unaware of what was to happen, her clock's numbers began to tick slowly down.

* * *

Lucy awoke just before her alarm went off, and she stretched with a yawn. Pushing a hand through ratty, unwashed hair, she hopped out of bed and began to make breakfast. Her morning meals were always the best whenever she had bought groceries the night before. No more stale cereal for her this morning!

As she cooked a breakfast of bacon and eggs, she looked at the calendar with still blurry eyes. Today was her best friend, Levy's birthday. She had already bought her friend her present weeks ago. A stack of wrapped books and a card laid at the foot of Lucy's couch, and she made a mental note to remember to call Levy after dance class.

Lucy pushed her food onto a plate and sat on the couch, turning on some Netflix to occupy her time while she ate. She loved to eat a hearty breakfast before dance class and watch an episode of The Office. There were so many episodes that she knew that it would take her a while to get through the whole story, which meant that she would have the motivation to do the rest of the things in the mornings too.

As she laughed at the prank that one character pulled on another and the budding romances, Lucy heard her phone ring. It was strange to have her phone ring this early in the morning, but she knew only one person would be up at 7:27 AM.

'Dan Straight,' she thought with a groan. Why did he always have to call this early? Nevertheless, Lucy pasted a smile on and answered the call. She needed to at least sound interested even though the guy wasn't her true love.

"Hello?"

"Lulu! You answered. I'm so glad!" the man's chipper voice came through the receiver, and Lucy held back another groan at the man's words. How dorky could the guy get?

"Yes, I did. How are you this morning, Dan?" she asked, trying to not sound bored.

"I'm doing great. Say, would you like to go out on another date this week? I'll text you the date and time and when to meet up," Dan said, and Lucy's fake smile grew.

Sure, she had agreed before, but now she wasn't feeling it. She wasn't a huge fan of spending time with the man, but at least he was entertainment. Lucy put on a brave face and swallowed quietly.

"Sure, that sounds great. I'll be waiting for your text," Lucy lied, almost feeling the air whistling through her teeth.

"Fantastic! Well, I'll talk to you later, Lulu," Dan said before saying his goodbyes and hanging up. Lucy didn't even get the chance to say goodbye. Not that that mattered at all.

Lucy tossed her phone to the side and headed to the bathroom, looking in the mirror and scoffing at her complexion. Her pores were growing larger now that she was aging, and was that another gray hair? Lucy scowled and raked a hand through her hair and resolved to make a trip to the salon on the way back. Her locks needed a serious dye job.

As she rubbed a hand over her slightly wrinkled face, Lucy exhaled and changed out of her clothes and climbed into her shower. At least a nice warm shower would wake up her tired bones.

Lucy showered quickly and knotted a towel around her damp body and sauntered into her bedroom, where she picked out an outfit to wear. A sleeveless tank top and fitting capris would do the trick for dance class and would look good no matter where she went.

Piling her breakfast dishes in the sink and rinsing them off, Lucy then grabbed her bag and slipped on her dance shoes. It was finally time to go to dance class, and thankfully she wouldn't be thinking about Natsu there.

* * *

"Step right, step left, clap, half-spin, and stomp," the instructor, a busty ponytailed brunette demonstrated, and Lucy wore a scowl. If she was that beautiful and had the bust of a greek goddess that meant she had already met her soulmate. Lucy's chest felt saggy compared to the rest of the women in the class, most of which were completing the steps much faster than she. The dance steps weren't as easy as they used to be, and week by week Lucy felt her body becoming slowly weaker as she aged. She had to find her soulmate soon, and fast!

"Okay, girlies. Next week is the recital, so I hope that you're going to be ready for it!" the woman pumped a fist in the air, and a few girls in the back cheered. Lucy lifted her hand in the air half-heartedly with a feeble shout, and the brunette woman narrowed her eyes at Lucy for a split second before turning her gaze to the rest of the class.

Thankfully, after a few more announcements classes were over, and Lucy retrieved her bag from her locker and headed out of class, still heaving from being out of breath. She was still young, but her body sure wasn't. Lucy sighed and shook her hair out of her ponytail and pulled her phone out of her bag to dial Levy's number as she drove.

"Hey, Lev. Happy Birthday!" she greeted when Levy answered.

"Aw, thank you, Lu! I appreciate it. You wanna come over for dinner? I'm sure that we-I mean I, can cook a nice dinner for us," Levy said, and Lucy's brows furrowed in concern over the mix up in words. Usually Levy was a very concise person, and so it wasn't like her to make a mistake like that.

"Um, sure! That would be amazing. I'll bring something over so you don't have to make anything. What do you want?" Lucy asked, hoping that it was something easy to grab like Chinese.

"Let's grab some pizza," Levy said with a giggle, and Lucy heard a few hushed words being said not into the phone.

"Is someone with you, Levy? Because that's totally fine! I can pick up something for all of us," Lucy offered.

"No, it's okay, Lu. He was just leaving," Levy said, and Lucy's eyebrows rose.

"He? Who is this he? Did you meet your soulmate, Lev?" Lucy questioned teasingly.

"No, but he says that you think you're his," Levy answered evenly, and thankfully Lucy was turning into her parking lot to park. Otherwise she would have hit something.

"What?" Lucy gasped, and she heard the phone being handed over to another person.

"Nice to hear your voice again, Lucy," a deep voice said. Lucy almost dropped her phone out of shock.

Natsu effing Dragneel. Once again, he had to ruin her life with his charming voice.

"What business do you have with my best friend? And what the hell are you doing over at her house?" Lucy spat into the phone, suddenly furious.

"That's simple, really. Levy and I are dating."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey! I'll be continuing this story pretty much everyday for NaNoWriMo to hit my 50,000 words. I'm hoping that I will make it in time, and you guys can keep me accountable for this by sending me nice messages reminding me to keep up! Thanks! I hope you enjoy! 3

* * *

Lucy was rendered speechless by Natsu's shocking words. How the hell could Levy date someone and not tell her about it? Levy was always updating her with how work went or if a guy smiled at her. Why would she not tell her now? That woman was going to have some explaining to do when Lucy came over to her house later that day...

Of course, she hadn't exactly told Levy much about Dan either. There wasn't much to tell, however. Dan was about as fun as sawdust, and Lucy would be ready to break it off with the man whenever she found her actual soulmate. When that would be was the real question.

Natsu's chuckle brought her back to the present from her thoughts. "I didn't mean to scare you that much," he said, and she imagined him with a smile on his face as he talked. The accursed image rested in her mind for a few moments before she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Thank God she was parked, otherwise she would have run into the curb or something much more problematic.

"Yeah," Lucy said, a scowl pushing it's way onto her face. She knew that this was not a good look for her; her aging face wouldn't like the scowl. Hopefully the scowl wouldn't stay for too long because Lucy couldn't bear to have any more wrinkles. Irritation was starting to seep through her voice. She was excited so she could finally spend time with the man who Levy was dating, but it was definitely going to be hard since it was the same man who she was unable to get off of her mind throughout the whole day yesterday.

"I have a question, Luce," Natsu said, and Lucy sighed at the statement. What could he possibly be asking of her after he dropped that bomb on her? And why did he seem to ask so many questions? It was borderline annoying, and Lucy felt the irritation starting to grate on her. The woman laid her head on the steering wheel, and a vein popped in Lucy's forehead. Puling her hand off of the gearshift after putting the car in park, Lucy reached to massage the throbbing vein in order to not procure a headache.

"What is it, Natsu?" she asked, rubbing the space between her brows with a thumb and forefinger. Irritation was definitely seeping in now, and there was no use hiding it. Even though Lucy was a bit vexed now, she wanted to be a little polite still. She had just met him, and maybe they could be friends if nothing more.

"Are you dating anyone?" Natsu's voice mused through the phone, and she could hear that he was amused by his question. Lucy fell back into her seat with a hand on her heart. The nerve of that man! How dare he ask her such a personal question after revealing something that shocked her to her core!

Lucy decided not to let him know she was surprised at his words. After all, he had told her something that made her irritated... why not make him irritated as well?

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Lucy said, her lips curling now. She was excited to hear his reaction...

"I just asked a simple question. You didn't have to answer so mysteriously," Natsu's voice dropped in disappointment, and Lucy felt a pang of regret for a moment before she realized he was joking.

"Hey! You told me something I didn't know about my best friend's life, mister! So you better just stop your attitude right there!" she said, her eyes narrowing in irritation.

"How was I supposed to know that you didn't know we were dating?" Natsu said, and for the second time today Lucy pictured him with an expression as he talked. This time it was a pout, and it was cuter than anything she had ever pictured him wearing. Well, other than having that dream that he was in a suit and tie last night...

Lucy shook the image away from her mind and focused on the task at hand. Lucy growled at Natsu loudly and finally answered after a few moments. "Whatever. I'll be over in a little while with a pizza and some questions. Be prepared to answer them."

With that, she hung up the phone forcibly, opened the car door, and stomped inside. With a huff, she flung her bag on the floor and decided to pick out an outfit that was better than her yoga pants. Sure, she wanted Natsu to drool over her butt, but with the body of an aging forty-five-year-old, she wasn't sure he actually would want to drool.

Peering into her closet, she sighed and decided to impress him anyway. Lucy put her hands on her hips, annoyed at her choices. All of her clothes were for her younger self. She had just turned 24, so why was this so hard to find a dang outfit to go to a friend's house?

'But Natsu will be there,' her thoughts protruded with a teasing tone, and she fought the urge to rip her hair out. Who the hell cared about that jerk? He was dating her best friend for heaven's sake!

Lucy scowled as she pulled off her shirt, gazing at the options with furrowed brows. Why were all of her options so low cut? She really needed to go shopping for a new wardrobe if she wasn't going to be finding her soulmate anytime soon. Her wardrobe had to become a bit older even though Lucy felt young. After a few moments, Lucy grasped the gauzy fabric of a v-neck coral blouse and held onto a pair of jeans. Tugging on the shirt, Lucy checked herself out. She looked pretty good if she said so herself!

Lucy jumped up and down to settle into her jeans and zipped them up triumphantly. She thanked the gods that her new body hadn't gotten too chubby yet, and she paired the look with a few accessories and brown boots. Grabbing her keys and other things, Lucy headed out the door with a smile on her face. She felt good, so why not act like it? Natsu wasn't going to rain on her parade anytime soon.

As she zipped out of the parking lot and down the street, Lucy popped in some tunes that would help her feel better. Rain was now pouring down the windows and windshield, and Lucy loved the sound of rain. It helped to soothe her, and maybe she would have a cup of Levy's tea after she picked up the pizza and went over there. Levy always had a fresh pot of tea brewed just in case anyone came over and needed a massage. The woman was a massage therapist and part-time journalist, and she hosted massages in her apartment whenever a client needed them.

Lucy didn't want to think about massages at Levy's apartment now, however. It made Lucy's mind think of Natsu and how he probably got massages from her friend all the time and also made Lucy's muscles ache, which made driving quite difficult. Lucy went inside the pizza place and picked out a supreme pizza, Levy's favorite. Levy was always picking certain toppings off that she didn't like, but most of the time the tiny girl ate four pieces by herself.

Lucy ran a hand through her hair to fix her ponytail as she went back into her car and made the drive over to her friend's spacious apartment. Lucy was excited to see Levy, but her stomach tied in knots when thinking of how Natsu would react to her being there. He knew that she was coming over; was he going to be as nervous as she was? Lucy cast the thoughts aside as she put the car in park and opened the car door, being careful not to step in any puddles as she strutted over to Levy's door. With three raps with her left hand, Lucy held the pizza box in her right with a smile on her face.

She heard a giggle behind the door and a 'Natsu!' in Levy's high pitched almost whisper, which brought on a stab of ice in her stomach. Maybe they were making out and couldn't get to the door right away...

To Lucy's surprise, it was Natsu who opened the door. "Hey, Luce," he said, his voice a low rumble which brought a drop to Lucy's stomach when he opened the door further and saw that Levy was hanging onto his arm. Their height difference was cute, with Natsu being quite a few inches taller than his short girlfriend. Lucy pasted on a smile and burst inside, turning to place the pizza on the counter.

"Hey, Levy! How are you do-" Lucy said before whirling around to greet her friend with a hug. That was the moment she realized something odd.

Levy's hair was the exact same shade, if not paler than it was when she last saw her a week prior. Levy had become a few centimeters shorter during that time, which Lucy hadn't realized when she walked through the door. Levy had always been short, but this was reaching a weird level. Levy was twirling her pale azure hair with one hand and holding onto Natsu's arm with another.

Lucy's face screwed up a little more when she realized that Natsu looked almost the same as he did when she met him yesterday. He even looked a little older, if all possible. His hands appeared even rougher, and Lucy inspected his face to find that he had slightly deeper laugh lines around his face than he used to.

With Lucy's smirk growing larger by the moment, the confirmation was settled about the thing she thought about this whole time: Natsu and Levy were not soulmates. Lucy practically danced over to the oven to preheat it, and her smirk grew larger as the fear began to reside in her best friend's eyes.

Oh man, was she ever about to have a fun conversation with Levy. Lucy could hardly wait.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: A slightly shorter chapter than usual for today! I still hope you enjoy, though!

* * *

"Levy," Lucy mused, crooking a finger to motion towards herself to her friend, "could you help me put the pizza in the oven?"

Levy chewed her lip while she twirled a stray strand of hair with a finger, hesitant to go and help Lucy. After a moment, she responded.

"Of course, Lu," Levy said before reaching up and whispering something in Natsu's ear. The man's face turned hard for a moment, but then he smiled and told the girls that he would be off to play a game and would be in the other room if they needed anything. Lucy's heart began to beat a little faster at the adorable smile he gave them. Levy seemed unaffected and only smiled back because she enjoyed him being happy.

Natsu sauntered away and soon they heard the game console starting up. Levy was a gamer herself and enjoyed playing Assassin's Creed as Ezio. Natsu preferred Altaïr, and he played quite viciously compared to Levy.

As she heard the sounds of people being stabbed or yelling in pain, Lucy turned to Levy with a smirk. Levy stared back at her friend with wide eyes, knowing what was coming next.

"Levy, how long have you and Natsu been dating?" Lucy asked with a slight snicker, and Levy sighed and ran a hand through her pale blue locks.

"A few weeks. Why?" Levy answered, peering into her friend's eyes noncommittally. Her uneasy expression told Lucy all she needed to know, and wordlessly Lucy pulled Levy so they could see through the open door where Natsu was sitting playing games. Natsu was pulling on his hair in frustration, and Lucy found it cute that his hair was rumpled.

"What?" Levy said after a few moments of watching him, pulling her arm away with a pout. The oven beeped as a signal that it was preheated, and Lucy opened the oven's door and pushed the pizza inside after unboxing it. Turning back around to her friend, Lucy stared into her best friend's eyes once more and opened her mouth. Levy crossed her arms across her chest

"When did you plan on telling me that you were dating someone who was not your soulmate?" Lucy asked with a slight smile, and the action bothered Levy. A scowl pushed it's way onto the small woman's face, and she narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

"Do you see my soulmate anywhere around here Lucy? Better yet, do you see yours?" Levy asked with a frown, and Lucy's eyes widen at the jab. Ouch.

It was bad enough that Levy was dating someone that Lucy could possibly consider being her soulmate, but to have her best friend hurt her like that really stung. It was her own fault for liking Natsu now, and Levy wasn't in the wrong for doing this. It was Lucy. She just flounced her way into their relationship even though they might be happy. Lucy sighed and thought about her actions before replying to Levy's jab.

"I'm sorry for saying that, Levy. I shouldn't have said that, and I was rude. I'm just sad since my best friend is dating someone who could be my-" Lucy began her apology but was cut off by a yawn and something in the corner of her eye.

Natsu was standing there with the cutest grin on his face and his rose silver hair a mess, and Lucy's heart began to beat faster as she noticed that he had a slight flush on his face from the tiredness.

"When are we eating? I'm hungry, Luce," he said, and Lucy gasped softly at his nickname for her. She liked the sound of her almost-name in his voice, and she enjoyed hearing the sleepy musings of him. She guessed that when he ate the pizza, he would become even more tired and take a nap, which would be the perfect time to talk to Levy.

"Natsu, why don't you play some more games and we'll bring some pizza out to you," Levy offered, glancing at Lucy with a smile.

"Sure, that sounds great! See ya in a while!" Natsu said, his canines glinting in the lamplight, which caused a soft yelp from Lucy. The blonde tumbled back onto all fours, and Levy's eyebrows raised while watching the interaction. Hmm... interesting.

"So when did you plan on telling me that you have a crush on someone, namely, my boyfriend? And that he's possibly your soulmate instead of mine?" Levy teased, reaching out a finger to jab Lucy in her arm. Levy smirked, giggling at her friend's reaction. A flush spread across Lucy's face quickly, and she looked like she was about to pass out.

"Um," Lucy answered before dropping her voice to a whisper. "I met him yesterday, Levy. I almost ran over him at the supermarket, and my clock hasn't changed since then. So we can't be soulmates."

"Well, have you tried checking your clock since then? Maybe it has changed," Levy pointed out, tapping the clock hidden by Lucy's jacket she grabbed to bring along.

"No," Lucy answers, and both girls turned their heads to Lucy's clock. What if it really had changed and Lucy hadn't been checking enough...? Well, at least it was worth a try.

Lucy yanked the sleeve of her jacket down, and what they saw inferred a gasp from both women. Levy put her hand over her mouth, and Lucy's eyes widened in amazement.

The numbers were now down to 7:14:27.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh shoot," Levy said suddenly, which caused Lucy to look up from the clock on her wrist. "I forgot to buy a book for my next report." Levy's eyes were still wide from looking at Lucy's clock, which only added to the surprised expression on her face. Levy ran over to Natsu and told him that she would have to go out to find her book. Lucy's stomach panged in sadness as Natsu kissed Levy's temple. Lucy decided to ignore it for the time being and resolved to make things right with her friend.

She had been a jerk. That was the understatement of the year. Lucy had been pushy and hurtful to Levy, and completely overlooked her friend's feelings for her boyfriend even if they turned out to be completely platonic. She had been selfish. And that was something that needed an apology for sure.

"Levy," Lucy began, and the small woman turned her head towards her friend, "Would you mind if I tagged along? I'm sure that Natsu could eat this pizza by himself, and I would like to take you out to dinner if it's alright."

Levy's face showed many different emotions. The woman had to think hard about this. Was she really going to go spend time with someone who had pushed her own feelings aside?

But then again, Lucy was her closest friend. And she had to put this tiny dispute aside and talk with Lucy about how she was feeling. Levy pushed herself to be a good friend as far as she was able, and she didn't want a small quarrel like this one come between an almost ten-year friendship. Dinner didn't sound too bad, especially if Lucy could hit the burger place near the bookshop…

Levy thought for a few more moments before responding. She wanted Lucy to know that she felt hesitant about doing so but didn't want to push her away by not replying.

"That sounds great, Lu. Natsu would probably love the place to himself to play Assassin's Creed," Levy said with a chuckle, looking up at her boyfriend. Their height difference was drastic, but not amazingly so. Lucy began to wonder what Levy would look like next to someone who was several inches taller than her rather than just a few, which brought Lucy's thoughts to Lucy being with Natsu herself. She shook her head and pushed the thought out of her mind. It was time to not be selfish tonight and understand how her friend was feeling.

"Perfect! Let's get going. Bye, Natsu," Lucy said, and Natsu lifted a hand in greeting before kissing his girlfriend on the cheek. The girls grabbed their bags and went out the door to Lucy's car. While in the car, Lucy stopped before starting the engine.

"Levy, I wanted to apologize again. To be completely honest, life has been feeling pretty boring lately. So when I met Natsu, I thought he was the excitement I needed. I should have backed off when I realized that he was your boyfriend. I will respect your decision if you choose to stay with him, and if you do not then I will do my best to help you find your own soulmate. You are my friend, and I don't want to sacrifice this friendship for something as silly as a man."

Lucy lowered her head in disappointment of herself and how she acted. The feeling rushed through her like a wind that wouldn't let up, and it only ceased when Levy placed a hand on her friend's arm with a smile.

"It's okay, Lu. I forgive you. I know that we haven't been very close lately, and I should have told you that I started dating him right when it happened. But the feelings were so fresh and new that I didn't want to say something just in case it broke down. You'll always be more important to me than any man in my life," Levy said, and Lucy let out a sigh of relief. They were okay now. Lucy reached out and hugged Levy, and they embraced for a few seconds, both with slight tears in their eyes.

A moment later, they broke apart and Levy wiped her tears before continuing. "To be honest, I don't really think of Natsu as any more than a friend. I trust him with my life, and I love him platonically. It's kind of how I feel for Gray or Jellal. He's attractive, sure, but he's definitely not my soulmate."

Lucy sighed and fanned her face to get rid of the tears, and then hummed happily in response. It was something she did when she was really relieved. Her mother always did so when she was relieved at something Lucy said when she was upset, and it had carried on through her daughter. It was quite nice to hear that Levy and Natsu weren't actually in love. It was heard that sometimes couples that were in love with people that weren't their soulmates would wait for their timers to run out… and then grow old together more quickly than ever before. It was a hard reality, and Lucy was starting to face it.

Levy chuckled at Lucy's response. "You always hum when you like something. Do you hum whenever Natsu's around?" Levy ducked from Lucy's playful swat, and a giggle erupted from the woman's lips.

"Hey! I'll have you know he doesn't know anything about my strange habit!" Lucy pointed a finger in her friend's face, shaking it with a laugh.

"Well, I'm sure if he did, he'd find it cute. Guys usually find things like that cute. Not that I would really know anything about that, anyway," Levy said, and a silence filled the car. Levy had never had a boyfriend before, and if she found her soulmate then it would be her first. Levy's numbers had steadily ticked down, and it could be days or weeks until she found her soulmate. Lucy realized that Levy may have been as lonely as herself, and she consoled her friend by smiling and pressing a hand to Levy's knee.

"You'll find him soon, Levy. I just know it. So what if you haven't met him yet? I'm sure he'll be great and very bookish and kind, just like you," Lucy said with a grin, and Levy smiled weakly in response. Levy's stomach growled a few seconds later, and the women laughed at the sound.

"I bet that means you're hungry. Wanna stop at 8 Island on the way?" Lucy said, grasping her keys and pushing the correct key in the ignition before the engine rumbled to life.

"Sounds great. I bet that pizza got out of the oven and Natsu wolfed it down in an instant," Levy said with a laugh, and Lucy chuckled along with her friend as they pulled out of the parking lot. Levy pushed her iPod into the jack and began to play a Beyonce song on the way there, and the women sang loudly out the window to the concern of the people around them.

* * *

"I'm sure the book is around here somewhere," Lucy said as Levy chewed on a few fries. 8 Island was packed for the night, as expected on a Friday, and so they went through the drive through and had to wait an extra twenty minutes before they got their food. Lucy had opted for eating while she drove, and Levy decided to eat while they were in the large bookshop to look for the book she needed for her report.

After Levy finished her food, Levy and Lucy hunted for the book. The high shelves in the bookshop proved perilous as they were both under six feet, and so they had to get a tall worker to grab a ladder for them.

"Found it!' Lucy cried, grasping a book after looking through multiple shelves. They paid for the book and left, and passed by the Fairy Tail bar on the way out. With a knowing glance directed at each other, Lucy pulled into the bar's parking lot to have a few drinks.

As they walked in, a song by a popular artist played. Levy bopped to the beat, singing along a few lines of the crooning song before ordering four margaritas for the both of them. They listened to the songs and sang along softly, and as they drank their words became more slurred. Lucy was giggling every two minutes at something that wasn't even amusing, and Levy was now on the karaoke stage singing a song.

"Go, Levy!" Lucy yelled with a hiccup, and she turned to order another drink when she heard familiar voices behind her.

"Gray-sama, play with Juvia," Juvia whined, her speech slurred. Her boyfriend and soulmate, Gray Fullbuster, was trying to not get his pants pulled down by his girlfriend. Lucy decided that this was a good a time as any to go over and talk to them, and Juvia practically hissed when she saw Lucy coming towards Gray.

"Hey you guys! This bar'sh really hoppin," Lucy giggled while taking a sip of her fifth margarita for the night.

Gray leaned over and pulled the straw away from Lucy's lips and looked her in the eyes with concern. He was like a brother to both girls and was careful to ever get drunk as he would always be the one driving someone home.

"Lucy, you're drunk. And I'm guessing Levy is as well. I'm taking you both home," Gray said, grabbing his keys and girlfriend's hand with one hand and pants with another. His shirt was discarded somewhere, and Juvia was now staring at his abs with lust.

"I guesh sho," Lucy said with another hiccup, and Levy finished her song and hopped on over to where everyone else was with quite a few missteps. Moments later, Gray and the girls were out of the bar and Lucy and Levy were sitting in Gray's back seat.

"I'll get your car tomorrow and bring it to your apartment. Where to?" he asked, and Lucy giggled once more before telling him Levy's address and handing him her keys. On the way there, the radio played quite a few different songs, all of them mostly by the same artist that was played in the bar. Levy was singing along drunkenly, and Lucy was giggling at her friend's antics. Lucy's head felt heavy, and the best place to put it seemed to be the window. Her head lightly pressed the window as she fell asleep, and Levy fell asleep beside her.

"We're here," Gray said finally, and Lucy realized that she had dozed off. Gray got out of the car and unbuckled both girls and unlocked the door, letting them inside. Juvia was fast asleep with Gray's shirt in hand, and Lucy knew that Gray would be taking her home too.

"Natsu," Levy said with a slur, and by how quick he was at her side, he knew she was drunk. Natsu picked up Levy, and Lucy followed partially out of jealousy and partially to make sure he wouldn't do anything funny to her. The warm alcohol that was coursing through her veins made her feel weird things, and one of them was jealousy.

But all Natsu did was tuck her in bed and give her a kiss on the forehead, kind of like a big brother would do for his little sister. Lucy smiled at the gesture and flung herself on the couch with a giggle, and began playing with her fingers and counting them. She had soon gotten to twelve when Natsu appeared and stared at her strangely.

"Oh, not you too! I thought Levy was the only drunk one," Natsu said with a groan, and Lucy only giggled in response.

"I'm drunk as a skunk, Natsu," she said, getting up and pressing the tip of her finger to his nose, which was quite a reach. She wasn't as short as Levy, but Natsu was taller than her by quite a few inches. He towered over her, staring into her eyes as she giggled at the eye contact. Natsu held her elbows to make sure that she would not topple over, and Lucy laughed at the touch. He was touching her!

"I'm taking you home, Luce. You're smashed," he said, pulling her gently by the elbows. Lucy stumbled a few steps before following, watching his butt as he walked. Natsu walked her out to his car and opened the door for her, watching her get in to make sure that she wouldn't fall out. When she buckled herself with almost ease, he gave her a thumbs up and Lucy did the gesture back before bursting into giggles.

Silently, Natsu went around and got in himself, starting the car and backing out of the parking lot quickly. "Whee!" Lucy yelled, and it took everything within Natsu not to stare at her like she had three heads. It was like she was a completely different person when drunk.

Natsu handed her a granola bar and a pack of dried fruit he always carried with him to eat, and Lucy sobered up a little and began looking out the window at the stars. Natsu focused his eyes on the road but realized quickly that she was gazing out at the stars with awe. He didn't want to bother her, so he said nothing until he reached her apartment parking lot. Turning the gear shift to park, he stared at Lucy as she looked out the window.

"You like the stars, huh?" His voice scared Lucy, and she jumped slightly before answering which resulted in a chuckle from Natsu. The noise was as deep and kind as it was when she met him yesterday, and she enjoyed the sound even more now that she knew him a bit better.

"Yeah. My mom always loved the stars. She was passionate about a ton of things: art, music, writing, dancing… but she really loved the stars. She died when I was five, but one of the things she always did with me was watch the stars before we went to bed," she said, her speech slurring just a bit. It was better than before, and the half an hour ride seemed to help Lucy sober up some, as well as the food he gave her.

"I'm sorry," she said, giving him a grin before turning back to look at the stars, "I must be boring you." Lucy's smile was as bright as the stars that night, and Natsu felt himself flush just a bit when he realized she also had a slight glow on her face from her drunkenness.

Lucy's eyes were on the stars that night. Gazing into the night sky with abandon, looking upon them as if they were the most beautiful things in the universe. And to her, they were.

But Natsu's eyes were not on the stars. They were on Lucy herself as she examined the constellations, and he could barely take his eyes off of her to look at the stars himself.

"Actually," he whispered softly so that she wouldn't hear, "it's quite the opposite."


	6. Chapter 6

Light filtered into Lucy's eyes, and she blinked them open. Yawning and stretching, she pulled herself out of bed only to be greeted by a lovely headache from the drinking the previous night. She groaned and began to make her way to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast and chug down some orange juice to aid the pain before feeling an unfamiliar lurch in her stomach. Running to the bathroom before throwing up was kind of like the calm before the storm. She hated the nervous sweat that she got, and the retching noises weren't her favorite sound. Upchucking her food from yesterday was not a good way to start the morning off, especially when she had her date with Dan today. Not that she was looking forward to it, of course.

Lucy moaned as she flushed the toilet and grabbed some ibuprofen from the cabinet, throwing them back with a small cup of water, making herself drink a little more than usual, but not too much in case she threw up again. She groggily dragged her feet all the way to the kitchen and made herself a bowl of cereal, munching on it softly so her headache wouldn't worsen. Hopefully this would all go away after the medicine kicked in.

She could schedule the date with Dan another day. Lucy wasn't particularly excited about the outing with the droll man as usual. His laugh didn't make her tingle inside, and the sound of his voice didn't give her butterflies. His smile couldn't send her soaring, and Dan's smooth lines definitely didn't make Lucy want to kiss him then and there. But Natsu, on the other hand…

He was exciting, and he always found a way to tease her about everything that she did. Lucy remembered with a blush that on the way home last night she had started singing drunkenly to the song by a new artist on the radio with the pitch of a hyena. Natsu had chuckled and slung an arm across the seat to check his blind spots. Lucy's flush that night went farther than her drunken glow as she began to hope that his arm would go around her shoulders instead of around the seat. Finally she came to her senses and smacked him on the arm, and the chuckles only continued as Lucy's face burned.

Thinking of Natsu made her heart feel lighter, and suddenly she didn't feel so bad about practically stealing him from Levy. She did still feel terrible about taking him from her, no matter if they were soulmates or not. Levy was her best friend, and she would never let a man get between her friendship like she did last night.

Lucy decided to call Dan and make sure that he would be fine with having the date another day. She picked up her phone, dialing his number and listening to the dial tone that was just about as exciting as the man's voice.

"Lulu! I'm so glad you called, my princess. Ready for our date tonight?" Dan asked, his tone sounding just a smidge above sawdust today. What had happened to him that he was so happy?

"I'm so sorry," Lucy said, waxing apologetic, "but I won't be able to make it tonight. I've got my period and a hangover, so I don't think going out and having more wine and moving around a lot would be the best for me." The hangover thing was true, but the period thing was false. Lucy knew that periods were the best way to scare off young men, and she knew it would do the trick just fine.

"Aw, Lulu, I am so sorry. Would you like me to bring over some chocolate and medicine?" Dan's voice actually sounded a bit sad, and it almost pushed her over the edge of inviting him over so he could take care of her.

Almost.

Still, Lucy knew she had to stand her ground. She knew that it was inevitable that if he came over he would notice that she wasn't on her period. After all, the man had grown up with six sisters. He knew the signs pretty well by then.

"No thank you, Dan. Maybe another time," Lucy said, her voice oozing faux sadness, and thankfully he bought it.

"Call me when you're ready for our date, pumpkin," he said, and Lucy practically gagged.

"Sure thing," she told him before saying goodbye and hanging up. Lucy pushed her phone in her sweatpants pocket and paced around her bedroom, trying to figure out what to do. Maybe going back to bed was the best option, as it was still somewhat early and she hadn't gotten much rest. Her body was used to getting up for work, but she was still on the weekend.

Lucy folded back the blankets on her bed and pushed herself inside, burrowing in deeply before shutting her eyes. Lucy's thoughts drifted to Natsu slowly, and a smile played on her lips as she wondered about what the man was doing right then. She felt herself fall asleep with a smile on her face as she remembered the man's smile, and her dreams were full of him.

* * *

A week and a half went by quicker than usual, and Lucy's weekend was nearing. Taking a sip of coffee at her desk, Lucy yearned for spending more time with Natsu. That also meant spending more time with Levy, which she was always up for. Levy and Natsu had broken up a few days after that night when she and Levy had gone out. Her friend had drunkenly confessed to her boyfriend that she wasn't in love with him, and it seemed that Natsu had taken it fairly well. Levy was fine with being alone, and so was Natsu as far as Lucy should see. Now all Lucy had to do was convince him that she was his soulmate and everything would be alright again!

But it seemed that he was avoiding her. Lucy noticed something was up when she went to talk to him about a play that was coming up and how she would like to go, but Natsu had promptly went off to pick a fight with Gray. Lucy's face dropped as he practically ran away from her, and she looked at him in confusion as he began to punch Gray in the face.

What had gone wrong? She hadn't seen him much since he and Levy broke up, but always looked for ways to spend time with him. She didn't want to seem too clingy, so she stayed by Levy's side and was careful not to push too hard. She wanted him to feel comfortable with them being friends, but he was slowly distancing himself from her.

Another time, she had called him one day when she knew he was off from work to ask him if he would like to get burritos and watch a movie with she and Levy. Lucy was hungry at the time for burritos-and Natsu's attention-so she cooked up the idea and presented it to him. But instead, he gave a lame excuse about staying late at work and told her that he would talk to her later and hung up. Lucy looked at her phone as if it had a virus and tossed it to the side, stomping over to the bathroom to take a good soak. She would need some bath salts as well to ease her now tensed muscles.

Lucy cleared her head from thoughts of Natsu's avoidance of her and continued typing up her report on her computer. An hour passed, and she glanced at the clock and around the room after looking at the time. Almost everyone in the office was out for lunch now, and so she decided to take her leave so she could have her meal and continue with her next report. She had already set up an interview tomorrow with Hibiki Lates from Blue Pegasus to talk about their up and coming work, and Lucy had to be prepared for it.

Lucy let her boss know that she was leaving for lunch and clocked out, grabbing her jacket on the way out the door. Tugging it on, she pushed her way out the revolving door and headed to her car to zip downtown to find something to eat. Her stomach had been grumbling ever since noon, and Lucy didn't work well with hunger. Someone had been eating Chinese in the break room where she had taken a few moments to de-stress from a report, so Lucy opted for that idea.

She had just opened her car door when she heard Levy's ringtone coming from her phone. Lucy grinned before answering it, thumbing the answer button.

"Hello?" she answered, a smile in her voice.

"Hey, Lu! I didn't know if you were on your break yet, so I waited for a while before calling you. Looks like I caught you at the right time," Levy's voice filtered through the phone, and Lucy smiled even wider when she heard her friend's cute voice.

"I'm just heading downtown right now for lunch. What's up?" Lucy asked, pushing her key into the ignition with one hand and shouldering her phone.

"Would you want to come with Natsu and I to a concert in the park tonight? I heard a bunch of bands are going to be there, and there should be some good food too," Levy said, and Lucy's stomach began to tie itself in knots. Natsu was going to be there! But wait, was he going to avoid her again like he had been for the past week now?

"I don't know, Levy. It seems like Natsu's been avoiding me lately," Lucy said, looking behind her to check her blind spots before backing out of the parking lot and zooming off towards the chinese place she knew was good.

"I don't think that's it, Lu. He broke up with me right after he came back from dropping you off, and he had a strange look on his face. I think he was blushing," Levy said, a teasing tone to her voice.

"Really?" Lucy responded, and she could hear the smile in Levy's voice.

"Really. Now, do you want to spend time with both of us or not?"

"Of course! When does the concert start?" Lucy asked, finally turning into the parking lot of the restaurant and parking her car. Lucy checked her reflection and her teeth to make sure that she didn't look terrible. Sure, she was aging, but that didn't mean she wouldn't look bad if she had something in her teeth!

"It starts at seven, but we should probably get there a little early so we can get some food," her friend's voice said, and Lucy's stomach growled at the word 'food'.

"Great. I'll be there!" Lucy said with a smile, opening her car door and telling her friend goodbye before going inside and being seated at a table. Now, what would she wear to this concert…?

* * *

Lucy's lunch was devoured quickly, and she went back to work for a few more hours and dropped off the finished report on her boss's desk before leaving for the day. It was already five and tomorrow she would be out on the job gathering intel from Blue Pegasus about their up and coming new bar, and if she drank a little too much tonight that meant that she would have a headache the next morning. Not that she would know anything about that…

Popping back home for a quick snack of a smoothie, Lucy contemplated wearing a sleeveless dress to the concert. It was warm outside, but yet the chill that was slowly filtering in brought shivers to her arms. She opted for a cranberry sweater instead, the outfit completed by straight dark wash jeans and a pair of boots. Lucy had about 10 pairs of boots just lying around in her closet. It was about time one of her lesser loved pairs got some use!

She pulled her hair into a high ponytail to disguise the gray and tapped on a bit of makeup and swiped on some tinted lip balm. She had to look at least a little put together for the get together. Natsu would be there, and Lucy noticed herself gazing at her appearance more often than normal. Her eyes looked sultry with the makeup she put on, and her cheeks sculpted. Lucy's face hadn't gained much weight with the aging, so she had to thank the gods for that.

Grabbing a bag and placing the balm and mascara inside, Lucy pulled open the door and felt a faint chill that seeped into her ones. Without a second thought, she grasped her gray pea coat she wore during the fall and tugged it on. Taking a quick peek at the time, Lucy realized she would be a little late for meeting them early, but knew that the concert would start just ten minutes after she got there. She knew she had to be quick.

Lucy went into the parking lot and ran to her car, opening the door and starting it with a flourish. Backing out of the parking lot was going to be a little harder than it looked with everyone gathering for parties. It was Friday night, but Lucy's week was just beginning. She had Wednesday and Thursdays off during the week, and so today was her Monday. Lucy had to drink a lot more coffee to get up in the morning than everyone else did because of her crazy schedule, and she hoped that one day she'd have a Monday-Friday job.

With the park now in sight, Lucy sighed and ran a hand through her hair at a stoplight. What happened if Natsu avoided her again? Would the whole night be wasted and awkward? Lucy hoped that he would understand that she actually liked him. The whole time she'd known him he had treated her as he would a friend that he enjoyed getting along with, and as much as Lucy liked being his friend, she definitely wouldn't mind being more. The man was positively adventurous, and Lucy wanted to be part of that adventure along with him.


	7. Chapter 7

As she parked, Lucy decided to make this adventure a fun one. So what if Natsu avoided her? That meant that she would have to just try a little harder. She sure wasn't Juvia by any means, but when she knew what she wanted she went after it. Lucy knew that Natsu was her soulmate. Her clock was counting down to prove it, and Lucy didn't have to look at his clock to further her point either.

Lucy's determined mindset gave her enough momentum to give herself a pep talk. It was just what she needed after the stressful day at work, and finally she had the motivation to get out there and go for what she wanted. All she had to do was actually inspire herself, which could prove harder than she thought.

"C'mon Lucy, you've got this! Okay, so maybe Natsu doesn't completely notice you quite yet, but he will! Now let's get out there and do this thing!" Lucy said, a bright smile now working it's way onto her face. Lucy pinched her cheeks for a just-flushed look and went out there to wow him.

Popping open her car door and climbing out, Lucy sauntered over to where she saw Natsu and Levy sitting at the park. One of the bands was already playing, and Lucy realized that her pep talk to herself had taken a little longer than normal. Levy already had a hot dog set up for her across from Natsu, complete with all the toppings that she liked. Her best friend really knew the way to Lucy's heart, and she was glad for that. After a busy day like this at work, all Lucy wanted to do was kick back and relax with her friends.

And it would be easy to do so. That is, if she didn't have a major crush on one of them already. Lucy felt her pulse quicken and palms begin to sweat as Natsu looked her way. Lucy put a little more oomph into her steps as she walked, finally sliding into the seat next to Levy with almost complete ease. She wouldn't let her nerves best her this time!

Lucy greeted Levy with a hug and a soft squeal, and she then turned to Natsu and wanted to say something to him to ease the tension. He had been staring into her soul for the past two minutes now, and she had to make something up so then he would stop!

"Hi!" she greeted, and Natsu raised a hand at her greeting without saying a word. Natsu bit into his hotdog and happily chewed it. Lucy decided to do the same along with the now quiet man. He had never been this quiet before...

Her nerves really acted up as she chomped into the hotdog without even caring. Lucy polished off her meal in three minutes flat with a satisfied belly rub, and Natsu's eyes dropped to her mouth when she finished.

Slowly, Natsu leaned towards her, and it felt as if all the air was being sucked out of the room. Lucy's eyes widened as she saw the man's lips twitch, and she pulled away at first out of confusion. His green eyes looked even brighter in the sunset, and Lucy hoped to God that she didn't have any relish stuck in her teeth. Natsu's face looked just as handsome close up than it did far away, and Lucy felt her eyes close in anticipation. Her lips puckered, and a soft grin inched its way up her face. This was it!

Instead of feeling anything remotely pleasurable or soft, she felt something rough wiped on her face. Lucy's eyes snapped open, and she pulled away quickly. Finding that he had just wiped something off of her face, she pressed her fingers to her face in a search to find what he had removed.

"You had some ketchup on your face," Natsu answered simply, and Lucy felt her face heat up as he crossed his arms across his chest with an amused look on his face.

"Jeez, Luce, I didn't know you were so desperate to kiss me," Natsu said with that accursed chuckle, and Lucy's face burned.

"That's not-I didn't-" Lucy started, and Levy giggled softly. Lucy glared at her friend, but Levy's giggles continued. She looked like she was about to burst.

"I dunno, Lu, it looked like you were about to kiss him to me," Levy said, a twinkle of evil in her eye now.

The music began to start, and Levy jumped up from her seat with a cheer and waved her hands in the air. Lucy rose slowly after sipping the rest of the drink that Levy had gotten for her, and Natsu threaded his hands behind his head and stood with a smile. Amazingly, Natsu looked like he loved the music despite it being completely different from what he'd like. The piano solo was long, but once the melodious notes crashed into guitar and drums, Natsu let out a whoop and his grin grew.

"You like this stuff?" Lucy practically yelled over the thrashing of the drums and guitar shredding, and Natsu nodded and began to tell her something with the smile that Lucy adored so much when they heard a loud thump.

Both of their heads turned towards Levy, and they found that she was now on the floor with a large bump growing on her head. Lucy gasped and ran over to her best friend, and Natsu rushed over to help pull the small woman to her feet.

"Levy! Are you okay?" Lucy said, her eyes widening and her pulse quickening. Something had to have occurred for Levy to fall over like that. The woman definitely wouldn't have fainted; Levy had an iron stomach that rarely became queasy or upset. Lucy, on the other hand, seemed to get food poisoning wherever they decided to go out to eat and her stomach turned whenever something gross was shown on television.

Levy roused after a few minutes, and Natsu handed her a cup of water and watched Levy carefully. Just because they weren't dating anymore didn't mean that he didn't care about her any less. Lucy's heart swelled with the look he gave her friend, and Natsu cupped Levy's elbow and led her back over to the picnic table where they sat before Levy fell over. Lucy sat next to her friend, and Lucy asked her a few questions just in case Levy was in shock.

"What's your name?" Lucy asked, looking into Levy's eyes, which were unfocused for the first time that Lucy had seen.

"Levy McGarden," Levy said, her voice dazed. That was weird; Lucy had never heard Levy sound like that since she had known her. Lucy's brows raised, but she continued with the questions.

"And how old are you?"

"I'm 23, but three months older than you," Levy said, her voice taking on a teasing tone for the second time today. Yep, Levy was definitely going to be okay if she had her sass.

Lucy scoffed while rolling her eyes, but her lips curved in a relieved smile. She was grateful that Levy was alright. But now there was a question to tend to, and Lucy couldn't focus on Natsu's cute easy smile that he now knew his friend was alright. If she focused on Natsu, it was only going to prove even more fatal to Lucy and Levy's friendship. She wanted to be there for her friend even when it wasn't a big deal.

"So what happened, Lev?" Lucy asked, and Levy's body went limp in Natsu's arms. Lucy's eyes widened more than they already were, and a cold ice rushed through her body. What was happening?

"Whoa!" Natsu exclaimed, holding Levy's body steady. Lucy waved a hand in her friend's unfocused eyes, but Levy smiled.

"Levy, what is going on?" Lucy urged, grasping onto her friend's hand.

"Black Haven," Levy murmured with a smile before actually fainting. Lucy didn't think that was possible for Levy. Her friend was as level-headed as they come; how would she possibly faint over something like this?

What the hell was 'this' anyway?

"Huh?" Lucy said, her brows furrowing in confusion until Natsu grasped Lucy's chin softly and pushed it towards the stage.

"Look," Natsu said softly, and Lucy finally began to see what all of the uproar was about. There were feminine shouts of 'Aah! Black Haven!' and loud screams in the crowd. Lucy tipped her head up to the stage and saw a man playing a guitar in a white suit. He was aging but still handsome, and his salt and pepper hair was long and cut jaggedly and in need of a deep hair conditioning with how rough it looked. The man's eyes were a sharp crimson, and he had piercings where eyebrows usually would be. His lips were thin but the lyrics coming from them were rougher than anything Lucy had ever heard. The melody was good, but his voice was so rough and shocking that Lucy had a hard time focusing on just the music. This was what Levy had fainted at?

Lucy did remember, however, that Levy had quite a few songs on her iPod that were rough like this, and she had talked about Black Haven before. But never would Lucy think that this man would be behind it. He was a one-man band, and he played guitar with his nimble fingers and drummed with his feet. The tone was sharp and sour, but the lyrics were happy. The man on the stage certainly didn't appear what Lucy would think happy would look like with his dark clothing and many piercings.

"He's got the best lyrics and the best voice, and oh, his body! You should've seen the calendar with him on it, Lu," Levy said, sitting up now. Natsu's hands still held her up, and hurt panged in Lucy's chest when she realized how close they were sitting.

'They're broken up now,' she reminded herself with a slight huff, and let the feeling go. She would not let this get to her. Levy wouldn't do anything to hurt Lucy, especially when she was talking about a man like this.

"Tch. My body's pretty nice too," Natsu said, crossing his arms across his chest once Levy rose to her feet.

'Boy, I bet it is,' Lucy said, her eyes sweeping carefully from Natsu's head to his feet. His body was still aging because of the whole soulmate thing, but he aged like a fine wine. A few soft wrinkles had appeared around Natsu's mouth, but it only made his smile look more boyish. And Lucy could stare at his strong arms and legs all day…

Natsu realized her stare and winked at her, and Lucy flushed for what felt like the thousandth time today. What was it about this man that could make her flush so much? Surely it was how he made her feel. However, his attractive body didn't help her thumping heart and quickened pulse any.

"I need a volunteer," the man boomed from the stage, and his speaking voice was as scratchy as his singing voice. The man's smirk spoke volumes, and it was actually quite attractive if one thought that way. Lucy knew that Levy definitely did, and Lucy barely had time to blink before Levy was racing up to the stage as fast as her short legs could carry her. Being tiny really had it's advantages. Levy was dodging taller and bigger women left and right, and Levy made it up just in time for his eyes to sweep right onto hers.

His grin was as wide as his guitar, and he pointed directly at her. Lucy groaned as Levy was ushered up to the stage.

"What do you think he's going to do?" Lucy asked Natsu, and he focused his eyes on hers with a smirk.

"Something perverted, probably," Natsu said, and Lucy gasped. He wouldn't-!

"What?!"

"Here's a bunny suit. Go change underneath the stage," the man's voice seemed to ooze amusement, and Levy flushed six shades of red. Before Levy could retaliate she was shoved down the small stage stairs and into a small room. Lucy ran up to the stage, Natsu following along with her. What the hell was happening?

The crowd sounded confused but also amused. Maybe this was something that the performer did all the time.

"Let go of me! I can change myself just fine!" Levy's voice carried through the stage, and the audience laughed. Lucy growled under her breath, and a few moments later Levy made her way up onto the stage.

She was now wearing something reminiscent of a one piece bathing suit, but with a bunny tail and bunny ears. The cranberry red popped against Levy's skin, and Lucy swore she saw the gruff performer blush at her appearance.

"This song is dedicated to my soulmate. You gotta come out sometime, woman!" the singer laughed gruffly, and the rest of the audience laughed along with her. Lucy stomped her foot.

And then Levy began to dance next to the one man band, a spotlight trickling down on her skin and making it shimmer softly. Levy's pale skin glimmered in the light and the dark-haired man couldn't keep his eyes off of her. They were now full of lust, which made Lucy narrow her eyes and want to give him a taste of her fist.

The song went on for a few moments, and the man sang a few words about love and how it is all made up, which made Lucy even madder. How could he dedicate a song to his soulmate and then say that love was all fictional like that? How dare he?!

Finally, the song ended, and Levy huffed when the man announced that it was his last song of the night and took his leave off of the stage to give the next band their room.

"Hey! Just wait one minute!" Levy yelled after the man, but he ignored her completely and continued walking. Lucy decided to let her sassy friend beat the shit out of the idiot. The tiny woman could pack a punch, and she would let the performer decide that for himself.

"You want an autograph, shrimp?" he said, whirling around with a smirk.

"Not likely!" Levy said, and she aimed for his face with her tiny fist and nailed him right in the nose.

"Ow!" the man pulled back once her fist made contact with his face, and he rubbed his now bloody nose with a large hand.

Levy was now the one to smirk and crossed her arms across her chest. Victory!

"I barely even felt that, shorty," he said, and he leaned down to look Levy in the eyes.

"You better get your ugly mug out of my face right now or else I'll-" Levy began, but then something hit her. And that something was stopping the usually articulate woman in her tracks.

A wrinkle on the man's face was now disappearing right before her eyes. The edge of the line was slowly erasing itself, and she watched it as he grinned. Levy's eyes widened, and her hands flew to her mouth in shock.

"Cat got your tongue, short stack?" the man grinned, and Levy stared up at him, her chocolate eyes full of anger.

Lucy and Natsu watched the scene unfold with amazement. This couldn't be happening! How in the world did Levy end up finding her soulmate right then and there? And the much stranger thing: he was one of the most famous singers in all of Magnolia!

"I don't have time for this. I have a question to ask you. What is your name?" Levy said, and she felt one of her own wrinkles erase on the back of her hand. She stared at it in both confusion and amazement. De-aging was a strange feeling.

"What's it to you?" he asked, and Levy stomped her foot in annoyance. The nerve!

"Just answer the question!" Levy shouted, staring up into his eyes with even more anger now.

The man chuckled. He liked his women feisty, and this one definitely was. And she was cute too.

"Gajeel Redfox. Yours?"

"Levy McGarden," Levy said. She paused for a moment before continuing, "And I think you might be my soulmate."


End file.
